A MOTHER is appealing for better support for a couple who took in her daughter when she was no longer able to care for her.

The women was too unwell to continue raising her daughter, now aged 15. Rather than seeing her go into council care, her friends Stephen Padgham and Donna Raynes have been bringing her up over the past two-and-half years.

But because it is a private arrangement the couple from Knaphill do not receive the automatic financial support from Surrey County Council that official foster parents do.

Public fostering involves children who are in the care of the authority being placed with a family selected by the council but private fostering is an arrangement between the parents and the new carer.

Now the girl's mother — who does not want to be named — is asking for more help for those who take on responsibility of a youngster in such circumstances.

She said support should automatically be given to people who take on private fostering arrangements to stop more youngsters having to be placed with people they do not know.

She said: “Stephen and Donna should be entitled to the money that public foster carers get — they are no different to the others.

“The situation is awful because I am ill and unable to look after my child. I only get a small amount of money and once I have paid the bills there is nothing left.

“I would help out if I could but it is painful to see Stephen and Donna struggle without the help of social services.”

While social services have a legal duty to ensure the welfare of the child and visit the couple regularly to monitor her safety, the couple say they have only received £265 to look after her since May 2005. Most of that was for school uniforms earlier in the year.

Official foster carers receive up to £326 per week per child over the age of 11 but the couple have been told they should go to the girl's mother for money.

The situation has become more difficult since Mr Padgham had a stroke four months ago and had to give up work.

Miss Raynes said: “It is not all about the money — things were okay until Steve had his stroke but it seems as though the council is penalising us for trying to help.

“The law should be changed to help people in our situation. The council has told us that we must ask the mother for money to look after our foster daughter but she only receives £46 a week.

“We don't want to get into a situation where we can no longer look after our foster child because she has become part of the family and I don't think she would be able to cope but it is not being made easy for us.”

A spokesman for Surrey Social Services said: “This is a private fostering arrangement and she [the teenager] had been living with them for some time before we were made aware.

“It is not the responsibility of the council to provide financial support unless it is requested and nothing has been requested apart from the cost of a uniform.

“In view of Mr Padgham being out of work we will review the financial situation with the foster parents.

“Our formal foster carers are given full training and have to fit certain suitability criteria. The foster parents might not have wanted to apply for a formal fostering arrangement or be accepted.

“We have a statutory obligation to visit the child every six weeks, the same as any child, and our priority is always the welfare of the child.

“We have offered to meet with Mr Padgham to discuss the financial situation.”

But the 15-year-old's natural mother is adamant that the council needs to do more to help the family with its difficulties.

She said: “They have been treated very badly. They were good enough to take my daughter in and have looked after her brilliantly since.”